Zohran Mamdani says he still believes Trump is a 'fascist' and 'despot' after White House meeting [View all]

Source: NBC News

Nov. 23, 2025, 9:00 AM EST


New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Saturday that he still believes President Donald Trump is a “fascist” and a “despot,” but he viewed their first face-to-face meeting at the White House on Friday as an “opportunity” to work together on lowering the cost of living for New Yorkers.

After months of trading insults during the campaign, the two were friendly during the meeting, with the president telling reporters he’ll be “cheering” for Mamdani, and the mayor-elect calling the meeting “productive.” Following their meeting, Mamdani was asked by reporters if he stood by his decision to call Trump a “fascist” during his campaign.“That’s OK, you can just say it,” Trump told him, jokingly. “It’s easier, it’s easier than explaining it.”

On Saturday, Mamdani told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker that he does still believe the president is a fascist. “After President Trump said that, I said, ‘Yes,’” Mamdani said.

He added, “That’s something I’ve said in the past and I say today. And I think what I appreciated about the conversation that I had with the president was that we were not shy about the places of disagreement, about the politics that has brought us to this moment, and we also wanted to focus on what it could look like to deliver on a shared analysis of an affordability crisis for New Yorkers.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/zohran-mamdani-trump-fascist-despot-white-house-meeting-rcna245309